The present invention relates to magnetic recording systems, and particularly to methods and apparatus for minimizing perpendicular field components proximate the air gap of longitudinal magnetic recording heads to maximize recording density.
The magnetic characteristics of longitudinal magnetic recording media are degraded by the perpendicular components of the magnetic recording head field which are present proximate magnetic transitions on such recording media as the transitions are recorded by the recording head. This degradation due to perpendicular field components causes wider recorded magnetic transitions on the recording medium and less magnetization than would be obtainable if these perpendicular field components were not present. The resulting loss of reproduction signal amplitude with high density magnetic transitions becomes particularly severe for recording heads subject to high overwrite caused by high recording level fields. This creates a severe recording head manufacturing yield problem because of conflicting design considerations between heads which exhibit high overwrite capability and heads which provide high recording levels.